Wired article on UofM solar vehicle
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2013/06/michigan-generation-solar/
It's a short article with a few pictures, but an interesting read. Also, there appears to be some older articles on Wired as well. I guess they've done a few entries:
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2013/04/u-of-m-solar-2013/
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2011/04/university-of-michigan-solar-car/
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/06/american-solar-challenge-winners/
The previous post on here made it sound like the left side driver's seat was a rule requirement itself. I wonder how many teams will come to the the same design concept given the change in the wheel requirements.
Not very many teams are taking the radical assymetric approach.
Stanford has gone with a very thick airfoil, and Twente from the Netherlands have a narrow rear axlethat almost makes it look like a traditional 3 wheeled design
Twente -
It's also worth noting that neither Nuon or Tokai have unveiled their cars yet from what I can tell.
U of M is, hands-down, one of the most well-funded teams on the grid for this year’s 1,800-mile, week-long endurance event in Australia. With sponsorship from both Ford and General Motors, along with industrial juggernauts Siemens, the team has taken first place in the North American Solar Challenge seven times. But even with all that green at their disposal, U of M has only placed third — five times, mind you — in the past 10 years on the global stage.
That's an interesting way to put that.
UNACCEPTABLE
i have babby that is almost hear so i was thinking about nut rition for babby i made up meal plan for babbys firts week it goes like like this:
9 am - babby eats protein shake and 3 chicken brest
12 noon - babby eat three chiken brest and also one cup spinach
3 pm - babby eat three serving penut buter and also protein shake
6 pm - babby drink 4 cup whole milk eat 4 cups pine nuts
9 pm - babby take creatine supple ment babby eat large tossed salid babby eat two chicken brest
12 midnite - babby drink mussel milk shake before go to bed
this way babby will fuel for growing large mussel. also did U see any talk of mac donalds? no! no mac donals for babby babby will not eat mac donals it is bad.
.... also babby should be taught to deliver brohammer!
Yeah, that feels like the author was trying to bring some drama into a pretty impressive accomplishment. Very Ricky Bobby of them.
While that very well may be the case, UM Solar is made up of student athletes. Whereas a lot of the other WSC teams are professionals. That's part of their job. A valid comparison would be the USSR Hockey Team versus Team USA, from 1980.
Michigan team members are full time students during development (they take a semester off to race in Australia). Professor involvement is minimal, and while they get a lot of machining and design refinement input from industry, the vast majority of the design and hands-on labor is performed by undergrads.
Our solar car team all play varsity sports as well??!!
BKfinest it